The U.S. Navy's best known submarine officer, Capt. Edward L. Beach, enjoyed fame both as a bestselling author and as a highly decorated naval officer. Not long after the success of his first novel Run Silent, Run Deep, which was later made into a major feature film, he commanded the first submarine to circumnavigate the globe submerged. During World War II, Beach earned ten decorations for gallantry, including the Navy Cross[9], while on twelve combat patrols in the Pacific. Following the war, he became the public face of the submarine community and served as an aide to the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. All the while, he continued to write books, a total of ten, including three novels, before his death in 2002.

This biography tells the story of Beach's remarkable life, weaving together his joint careers and offering insights into his experiences at sea and in the White House and on Capitol Hill.

Edward F. Finch is director of a museum in Freeport, IL, where he taught high school for thirty years.

Praise for Beneath the Waves

"Finch has done a good job as a biographer in developing and presenting the personality of his subject."

— International Journal of Naval History

“The author performs an admirable task in explaining how Beach progressed through the Navy from midshipmen to becoming a submariner, service as President Dwight Eisenhower’s naval aide, commanding officer of the conventional submarine USS Trigger and nuclear submarine USS Triton, his failure to be promoted to rear admiral, and why he decided to retire from the Navy. If one wishes to learn more about Captain Edward Beach, his family and about the Navy in the 1950s and 1960s this book is well worth reading. A great man has received a worthy biography.”

— The Journal of America’s Military Past

"Before you pick this book up, be sure you have enough time to finish it, because you will not want to put it down. If you think this is about a navy career and adventure of 27 years—you are mistaken—it is much much more. This is one of the best written biographies you will read."